III-LOOKING FOR A SHIP

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ABSTRACT: REPORTER AT LARGE about the U.S. Merchant Marine. Writer accompanied second mate George Anderson Chase on the S.S. Stella Lykes on a voyage to the West Coast of South America. The ship's captain, Paul McHenry Washburn, is now a great-grandfather. Tells about his life & career. Writer visited the captain's home in Jacksonville. Writer recalls going through the Panana Canal southbound & northbound. Tells about the brazen activities of present-day pirates. They are a great menace & there seems to be no way to control them. Tells about stowaways, a major nuisance. If one turns up on your ship you pay a fine, do a lot of paperwork & post a sizable bond. Tells about drug smuggling & the drug lords who are completely ruthless. Tells about the dangers faced by merchant mariners: accidents, injuries, illness at sea. Describes the ship's dining room & its rather odd atmosphere. Tells about the crew's cabins which are quite comfortable. Tells about the ship's stop in Buenaventura. Unknown to everyone three men stowed away & were discovered when the ship arrived in Panama. It was between Colombia & Panama that severe mechanical difficulties overcame the ship and it wound up dead in the water, which is where writer ends his account. In Port Newark an inspection revealed a break in the ship's hull. The captain had run the ship slowly, not exceeding 18 knots to keep her alive.